WATCH: When Cho Ramaswamy introduced Narendra Modi as the 'Merchant of Death'

New Delhi:  Prime Minister Narendra Modi and noted journalist Cho Ramaswamy who passed away this morning shared a special bonding and warm friendship. Modi condoled the demise of satirist Cho Ramaswamy, remembering him as a multidimensional personality, towering intellectual, and a great nationalist. "Cho Ramaswamy was insightful, frank & brilliant. Pained by his demise. Condolences to his family & countless readers of Thuglak," he said in a tweet. Ramaswamy founded and edited the political magazine 'Thuglak'. The Prime Minister noted that Ramaswamy was respected and admired by many. "Cho Ramaswamy was a multidimensional personality, towering intellectual, great nationalist & fearless voice who was respected and admired," he said. "Above all, Cho Ramaswamy was a dear friend. I have been to his annual readers meeting which were an unprecedented editor reader interface," he said.

The feisty Cho Ramaswamy introduces me as the 'Merchant of Death.' Do watch this memorable interaction. https://t.co/2FsF64sVvH

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 7, 2016

I returned the favour, but don't think I matched Cho's eloquence. Hear what I said about him. https://t.co/wPxYLc1fTb — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 7, 2016

Ramaswamy, a veteran journalist and former Rajya Sabha member, died in Chennai following illness. Modi also shared two videos on his Twitter timeline from an annual readers meeting. In one of the videos, Ramaswamy on the stage invited Modi and refers to him as the “merchant of death”, a phrase used by Congress chief Sonia Gandhi during her party's campaign for the 2007 Gujarat election, to attack Modi over the 2002 riots in the state. Ramaswamy, however, changed the whole context of the phrase and employed it to shower praise on Modi. “I now invite to address you, the ‘merchant of death’…the merchant of death to terrorism, the merchant of death to corruption, the merchant of death to nepotism, the merchant of death to official inefficiency, the merchant of death to bureaucratic negligence, the merchant of death to poverty and ignorance, the merchant of death to darkness and despair…will now address you,” says Ramaswamy. In the other video, Modi praises Ramaswasmy. calling him a "true democrat." (With PTI inputs)